6.  The applicant, who is not employed, is president of the non‑governmental organisation Aizstāvis, (“Defender”) which is based in Liepāja and the aim of which, according to its articles of association, is to protect the rights of retired, disabled and less well-off persons and other vulnerable categories.
7.  On 20 July 2000 Mrs Ņ.L., whom the applicant considers as one of his clients, went to the Liepāja District Court of First Instance in order to obtain a copy of the record of the hearing held a few days previously in her civil case. At Ņ.L.'s request the applicant accompanied her to the office of Judge M.J., who had heard the case in question. However, the judge refused to provide them with the document requested and ordered them to leave her office.
8.  As soon as the applicant had left the office, Judge M.J. drew up a regulatory offence report (administratīvā pārkāpuma protokols). This document, which was written entirely by hand, read as follows:
“Liepāja, 20 July 2000 11.30 a.m. Regulatory offence report prepared by Judge [M.J.] of Liepāja District Court concerning Mr Vasilijs Zaicevs ..., of ..., Liepāja. Mr Zaicevs burst into my office without permission, disturbing me at my work, and rudely demanded information to which he was not entitled, thus acting in flagrant breach of the rules [of conduct] within the precincts of a court and displaying a lack of respect.
Vasilijs Zaicevs thereby infringed Article 201-39 of the Regulatory Offences Code.
The offending party is unable to offer an explanation, having left the premises. ...”
9.  The same day, Judge M.J. sent an explanatory note to Judge K.S., acting president of the court. The note read as follows:
“On 20 July 2000, at around 11.30 a.m., I was working in my office ..., preparing a judgment in another case. The door of the office opened suddenly and Vasilijs Zaicevs and [Ņ.L.] burst in without permission.
In flagrant breach of the secrecy of deliberations, Vasilijs Zaicevs demanded, rudely and in a loud voice, that I provide him with a copy of the record in the case of [Ņ.L.]. I explained calmly that it was not our practice to provide copies of records. Vasilijs Zaicevs began shouting more loudly, demanding that [Ņ.L.'s] supposed rights be respected. He waved his mobile phone around and threatened to call the public prosecutor's office. As the two [visitors] refused to leave the office, I stood up and went towards the registry office in order to summon a security officer.
Zaicevs' conduct demonstrated a gross lack of respect for the court, in flagrant breach of the rules [of conduct] applicable within the precincts of a court: he not only addressed me in an impolite tone, but also issued threats, entered a judge's office without permission and breached the secrecy of deliberations. ...”
10.  Shortly afterwards, a similar account was given in writing by a member of the court's registry who had witnessed the incident.
11.  On the following day, 21 July 2000, Judge K.S. ordered the registry to summon the applicant to appear on 25 July in order to determine whether he had been guilty of contempt of court. When the applicant failed to appear at the appointed time, the judge ordered the police to find him and bring him before the court by force. The next day, 26 July 2000, the police officer concerned informed K.S. that the applicant had not been at home and could not be traced.
12.  On 2 August 2000 the applicant himself went to the Liepāja District Court in order to represent another person who had been declared a victim in criminal proceedings. After the hearing the court's registrar issued him with a summons (tiesas pavēste) requesting him to appear before the same court on 7 August 2000 in connection with the regulatory offence. According to the applicant, it was only then that he learned of the charges against him. He immediately went to see Judge K.S. and requested leave to consult and make copies of the documents in his file to help him prepare his defence. His request was refused, and the applicant immediately made note of the fact on the summons which he handed back to the registrar.
13.  In a letter sent the following day, 3 August 2000, the applicant addressed a complaint to the public prosecutor's office at the Kurzeme Regional Court and the Minister of Justice concerning the refusal by Judge K.S. to allow him to consult the file. He received no reply.
14.  On 7 August 2000 Judge K.S. gave the applicant leave to consult the documents in his file and to make photocopies free of charge. According to the explanations furnished by the Government, which were not disputed by the applicant, the file comprised a total of seven one-page documents, as follows: the regulatory offence report, the depositions of the registry official who had witnessed the incident, the depositions of Judge M.J., the order issued by Judge K.S. to the police to find the applicant and bring him before the court by force, the report of the police officer concerned and two summonses to the applicant.
15.  On 9 August 2000 Judge A.P., also of the Liepāja District Court, examined the merits of the charge against the applicant. At the hearing, the applicant pleaded not guilty to the regulatory offence. In particular, he contested the account of the facts presented by Judge M.J. The relevant part of the record of the hearing reads as follows:
“... When asked whether he had any specific requests in relation to the case, V. Zaicevs [replied to the court]: 'I would ask you to note that I consulted the seven documents in the file.'
When asked whether he had read the regulatory offence report, V. Zaicevs [replied to the court]: 'I have read the documents, including the regulatory offence report, but do not understand why Article 238 of the R[egulatory] O[ffences] C[ode] was applied. ... I would ask that the lawfulness of applying that provision be reviewed by means of administrative proceedings. ... The report by [Judge M.J.] is dated 20 July, but I did not see it until 7 August.'
When asked whether he had further questions, V. Zaicevs requested that Judge [M.J.] be summoned to the hearing on account of her allegedly unlawful refusal to provide him with copies of the record [in the case of Ņ.L.]. The court explained again why the administrative proceedings had been brought, and stated that Judge [M.J.] would not be given notice to appear as the present proceedings did not concern any failure [on M.J.'s part] to provide the record in question, but related to contempt of court.
16.  In a final order issued at the end of the hearing on 9 August 2000, Judge A.P. sentenced the applicant to three days' “administrative detention” (administratīvais arests) for contempt of court (necieņa pret tiesu), an offence punishable under Article 201-39 of the Regulatory Offences Code. The judge took the view that the applicant's guilt had been sufficiently proven by the written explanations of M.J. and the member of the registry staff who had witnessed the incident. The Liepāja State Police Directorate (Valsts policija) was instructed to execute the order, which became effective as soon as it was issued.
17.  The applicant served his sentence from the afternoon of 9 August until the afternoon of 12 August 2000 in the temporary segregation unit (īslaicīgās aizturēšanas izolators) of the local police station. On 17 August 2000 the deputy head of the police station issued the applicant with a written certificate attesting to his stay in the segregation unit.
18.  Between August and October 2000 the applicant wrote several letters to the Prosecutor General's Office criticising the proceedings leading to his conviction. He received no reply.